By Dan Ambrose: Jermell Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KOs) was in full denial about him deserving a loss in his 12 round split draw against WBO 154-lb champion Brian Castano (17-0-1, 12 KOs) on Saturday night at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Jermell was booed loudly by the fans after the fight’s results were announced, with the contest being scored a 12 round split draw. The booing continued during Jermell’s interview inside the ring, as the boxing fans let him and the judges know what they thought of them.
This was the worst scored fight in 2021 by far. The scoring looked like it was done by judges that had never worked a fight before. It was atrocious.
Two of the judges bailed Charlo out, saving him from a well-deserved defeat by scoring it 117-111 for Charlo and 114-114, neither of which had no basis in reality to the fight that took place tonight. The third judge scored it 114-113 for Castano, and even that score was way off from the fight that took place tonight.
Jermell fought like a bigger version of Adrien Broner tonight, unable to pull the trigger in most rounds. Even in the two rounds that he hurt Castano, in the second and tenth, he couldn’t Jermell couldn’t let his hands go. He had the same problem that Broner has with his inability to react.
Castano took Charlo to school tonight, getting the better of him in 9 of the 12 rounds and deserving a wide 116-112 or 117-111 score.
Jermell: I hurt Castano all over the ring
“In some rounds that are really close, they tend to score to the opponents,” said Jermell at the post-fight press conference. “I just got in a dog fight.
“I hurt him all over the ring, and he didn’t stop coming. We can come back and do it again. I felt it was a closer fight than it seemed.
“Somebody had it 117-111 [for Charlo]. I do feel I won a few more rounds than he did. 117-111 was kind of a large range, but I do feel no way possible you could score it 114-114.
“Not to take anything away from Brian Castano tonight, but I feel like I pushed a lot harder than he did. He wasn’t trying to run in there and be the Brian Castano that he was.
“I took him out of his game plan. I felt I did a better performance than a lot of people that fought him.
“I didn’t see Erislandy Lara following him all around the ring. I didn’t see Patrick Teixeira do anything like that. Derrick [James] told me in the ninth round, ‘You got to knock him out.”F***, what you talking about? I’m beating his a**.’
“But then I thought, Oh, I got to think about it. This is the state of Texas and the judges.
“The judges were from all over the place. The referee was from Panama. I blocked a lot of shots that people thought I got hit with. A lot of the shots slid off. It was an outstanding fight,” said Jermell.
“I don’t think he was the best guy that Jermell has ever fought,” said trainer Derrick James when one of the members of the media told Charlo that Castano was the best guy he’s fought during his career.
“He only had his way when Jermell stayed in one spot on the ropes. Other than that, he’s not the best guy that Jermell has ever fought. Tony was better than him.
Charlo not committing to a rematch
“I don’t know; we have to see what Al Haymon says,” said Jermell when asked if there will be a rematch with Castano. “I want that; that’s my destiny. We shall see,” said Jermell when asked if he’s going to make another attempt to become undisputed at 154.